This invention relates to exercise devices, and more particularly to a portable exercise device which provides variable resistance for progressive exercise and building of the arm and leg muscles.
Fitness and body building are growing interests in the United States. Fitness has been found to enhance overall health, as well as improving energy levels and stamina for enjoyment of recreational activities. Fitness improves the overall appearance of a person's body and as a result enhances one's self image. This enhancement attracts many people to increase training to build the body or work on specific trouble spots.
Various body building techniques are used to exercise specific muscles. There are exercise machines in gyms and health clubs which achieve the desired results. However, such machines are large, bulky and are very expensive, so that only wealthy people can afford them for home use. Free weights can be lifted to build the forearms, upper arms, shoulders and chest or back. The problem with free weights is that they are bulky to store and require additions of the weight disks to keep up with the progress of muscle building
Another problem with prior art devices is that they require a fixed place of installation and a fairly large amount of room in which to be used. This is acceptable for the health club environment, but not for an individual's private use at home.
There has been designed and built numerous portable devices for exercising. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 911,925 entitled Wrist Developer and Strength Tester, there is disclosed a portable device which utilizes an oscillating handle operating against a spring in order to develop ones wrists. However, the device is not designed for bicep development or for leg development. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,039,183 entitled Wrist Exercise and Strengthening Device, there is also illustrated a portable device which is adaptable for use by either arm. Again, however, this device is not adaptable for both arm and leg exercising. A third exercise device for exercising the forearm is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,022 entitled Portable Forearm Exerciser. This device consist of a pair of levers which are connected at a pivot point and in which the user pushes extending arms together against a resilient biasing band in order to exercise the forearms. This device is not adaptable for exercising biceps or leg muscles.
None of the devices found in the prior art are adaptable for exercising the biceps, triceps and leg muscles. One explanation is that these muscles generally require different movement and apparatus in order for individual groups of muscles to be exercised. At health clubs which have the advantage of large expensive equipment, the equipment may be able to be modified to accommodate several different groups of muscles. However, in the portable device arena, such has never been accomplished.